Plot Bunnies Attack!
by Firefly213
Summary: Obviously the plot bunnies have attacked and I'm just trying to get them out of my head! It's really cute though     R&R please!  Seeing as this is my first fanfic  And please enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

I found myself looking into another of the tall mirrors that were all around the room. I fist saw my face, still a light dusting of pink across my cheekbones from the embarrassment of what I'd just seen. And then I looked past me; he was standing alone. His midnight blue frock coat, with the diamante neck, highlighted his mischievous blue eyes. The ruffles of pale gray silk that were at his throat and wrists set off the pallor of his skin perfectly. The black tights and black, his shiny boots, emphasized his long legs. He was holding a horned mask on a stick, but he lowered it now, to look straight at me in the mirror. Directly behind him, dancers were whirling in the great ballroom...And he held out his hand to me.

I turned slowly to face him, expecting him not to be there when I had fully turned around, but he was. He was still holding his hand out to me and I took it, almost hesitantly, feeling dizzy.

Then we were spinning around the ballroom, and being safely in his arms, I didn't feel dizzy anymore. 'I am the loveliest woman at the ball,' I thought and knew this to be true be the way that he was smiling down at me. He held no attention for anyone but me. The touch of his hands on my body was thrilling and dancing with him felt like the easiest and most natural motion as we spun around the room.

"You are absolutely stunning and most beautiful, my dear," he said with a smile.

"I feel...I feel like...I-don't know what I feel," I answered honestly. I felt confused and didn't understand why.

He was amused. "Don't you?"

"I feel like...I'm in a dream, but I don't remember ever dreaming anything like this!" I was starting to put the pieces into place, but my mind was sluggish; not working right.

He pulled away from me slightly and laughed fondly, like what I said was endearing. "You'll have to find your way into the part," he said, and whirled me around the room.

I smiled up at him; thinking about how handsome he was. Should I tell him this? But one doesn't tell a man such things, did one? It was also more than that. There was something in his face that was open, like he was really enjoying the moment. His face lacked the mocking or secretiveness that I had seen on all the other faces here.

"And when you've found your way in, " he was saying as we keep whirling around the floor, "stay in your dream, Sarah." He was looking straight into my eyes. His smile was serious as he said, "Believe me. If you want to be truly free, wholly yourself-you do want that, don't you?"

I nodded, the words to agree totally lost to me. I was starting to notice that it's really hard to think, let alone speak, when he looks at me like that.

"Then you will find what you want only as long as you stay in your dream. Once abandon it, and you are at the mercy of other people's dreams. They will make of you what they want you to be. Forget them, Sarah. Trust to your dream."

I was spellbound. He was talking to my very soul. I was hanging on his every word, knowing that what he was saying was truth.

"Trust to me," he said, moving his face closer to mine. "Can you do that?"

I nodded, and looked up at him with anticipation. 'His going to kiss me,' I thought, closing my eyes like I had seen my mother do in some of her roles.

I suddenly opened my eyes. Something wasn't right. I realized that it was the music; it had stopped. He dropped his hands so now they were resting at his sides and he stepped back. Everyone around us had stopped, watching us. It was like the whole room was holding its breath.

He smiled sadly, "You are cruel, Sarah. We are well matched, you and I. I need your cruelty just as you need mine."

I felt my mouth gape open. What was happening?

"I had even reordered time," he said now and the thirteen-hour clock appeared behind him; the same clock that had haunted me throughout his world. The big hand hit the thirteen and started chiming. "I did it all for you," he said over the bell being rung. The people around us started moving, slowly, closer to us.

I was lost. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. When did it start going wrong? What's going on? Did I fail?

"I asked so little, just for you to believe in me, and you could've had everything you wanted...everything you have ever dreamed of...your dreams, Sarah!" His eyes shone brilliantly with emotion. I took a step closer to him, reaching out to him.

He took a step back, away from me. "Just to fear me and love me," he said now in a gentle voice, "and do as I say, and I...-"

The last of the chimes were sounding and the crowd of people was closing in around me. I hadn't noticed until now how close they had come to me; too confused to see where they were, my only concern being the man in front of me. I could hardly even make out his blond hair over the head and bodies now surrounding me.

"Wait!" I cried. The people, all wearing masks, were swallowing me up. I could barely breathe. They were smothering me, taking me down and farther away from him. And still the clock chimed on.

"WAIT!"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

I shot up in bed, almost falling off into the floor. I was panting, the scream that was in my dream still on my lips. Whipping the cold sweat from my forehead my first thought flew to Toby. 'Is he still here? Is he safe?' These thoughts frantically swam around my head. I threw off my covers, got out of bed, and swiftly crossed my room.

Tiptoeing, as quickly as I could without waking anyone, I went to Toby's room and cracked the door open. It didn't look like anything was out of the ordinary; nothing had moved from when I left after telling him a story earlier that night. His nightlight was still shining brightly, cutting through the darkness that collected in the corners of his room. To my relief he was still in bed and sleeping soundly. I closed his door quietly and went back to my room.

I got back in bed, pulling the covers up to my chin. 'What a dream,' I thought. I hardly ever dreamed of the Labyrinth anymore. Sure, in the past I had had dreams of Hoggle and Ludo and Sir Didymus more often than not, but most of those were happy dreams. If I were ever to have a nightmare it was more likely that I would dream of the bog, or the cleaners even. I hadn't actually had a dream of him for years now.

It scared me a little, even now, to think of him and even more so after having a dream about him after so long not having any. What did the dream mean? Why did I have one of him now? What am I supposed to do?

Restless now I tossed off the covers and went to my window. I threw it open and crawled out onto the roof. It was peaceful outside and the cool air that hit my face was refreshing. I sat at my favorite spot right near the tree that was growing close to the wall and looked up at the night sky, trying to clear my mind of all thoughts. Of course that was impossible now. The memories that I made in the Labyrinth kept popping up in my head; me stealing Hoggle's jewels, him in my room, me almost falling into the bog, the way he laughed at me, Sir Didymus courage, his eyes, me saving Ludo, the way it felt when he touched me, my jump of faith to save Toby, the totally faith in himself that he would not lose to me, his unkempt hair, the way he held himself, his voice...

This was hopeless! All I could think about was_ him_! Sighing, I brought my knees to my chest, hugged them closer, and rested my chin on top. Why couldn't I stop thinking about him? It shouldn't be that hard to stop, right? Why is it so hard to stop?

I had been thinking a lot about him and my time in the Labyrinth. I had found myself day-dreaming in class about it. Maybe that's why I had the dream! I was thinking about the Labyrinth too much! But wait...the last part of the dream wasn't even right. The last things he said were the last few things he said to me before I defeated him. Ugh, this wasn't helping me!

I rubbed the heel of my hands over my eyes and then looked out over all the sleeping houses around me. I stared at nothing, still thinking about my dream. After a while of trying to fervently figure it out and what it meant, and failing miserably, I got up and slipped back into my room. I felt like I was finally tired enough to try to sleep. Crawling back in my bed I hoped that I wouldn't have another dream like that; I need a good night's sleep for tomorrow. I settled in and glanced at the window. I stared out it, looking up at the moon until I felt my eyes growing heavy. My eyes we're closing but for some reason I was fighting sleep. I rolled onto my other side to see if I could get more comfortable that why, but something in the back of my mind drew my attention back to the window.

I rolled back over in bed to look out my window one last time, and at that moment I saw a shadow cross the moon. It looked strange and somehow...familiar… almost like some kind of bird…maybe an owl? With that thought still buzzing through my head I fell asleep.


End file.
